Mr Mager, who received planning permission for a seven-home development on the site back in 2016, told Grimsby Live he had no idea the main was below the property.

"Basically either the house had to move or the main had to move. For peace of mind, I decided to move the house on my own timetable," he said yesterday.

"If we had known it was there, we would never have done it."

But a spokeswoman for Anglian Water said the main had in fact been listed on asset plans since around 1995, and simple checks could have averted the situation.

Bricks, wooden beams and tiles line the demolition site in Tetney (Image: Jon Corken)

She said: “Whilst it is unfortunate that Mr Mager took the decision to demolish this property, building over any water main runs the high risk of damage which can impact water supply to customers in the area if there was a burst, as well as the potential for injury to persons or property.

"Accordingly, Anglian Water had to take a strong position to ensure the integrity of this main."

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She added: "Our records show that this particular large water main was recorded on asset plans since circa 1995.

"We would encourage developers to conduct thorough desktop and physical assessments of any ground they intend to build on, including approaching Geodesys for asset plans.

"If a developer is in any doubt about the presence of water mains or sewers on their site we would encourage them to contact us before building so we can work together to avoid incidents like this reoccurring."